The Plan
by eidheann
Summary: Uncle Harry and Cousin Draco are sad. That's okay, Teddy has a plan. / Written for hd cliche fest 2013 on lj. cliches used: kidfic, matchmaking.


**Title:** The Plan  
**Author:** eidheann (eidheann_writes)  
**Cliche:** kidfic, matchmaking  
**Word Count:** ~1,500  
**Rating:** (P)G  
**Warning(s):** Shameless fluff. Kid-POV. No smut (alas).  
**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
**Notes:** Loves to capitu for being a wonderful cheerleader (as always!) and HUGE to fantasyfiend09 for beta'ing and comma wrangling. You two are the best!  
**Summary:**Uncle Harry and Cousin Draco are sad. That's okay, Teddy has a plan.

Teddy was seven years old when he slurped up a long string of spaghetti and asked why Uncle Harry was so sad all the time. The quiet conversation between Gramma and Auntie Cissy stopped as they both turned to look at him. He shoved another forkful in his mouth and frowned when they exchanged a glance between themselves. He hated it when grownups did that.

"Sometimes, Teddy, it's not so much that people are sad as it is they don't have something to make them happy."

He frowned at Auntie. "Like what?"

"Quidditch." Gramma took a sip of wine and that was that. He especially hated it when she took that tone. It was the one she used when she said he couldn't have ice cream, or go to the zoo, or stay up to read one more issue of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle and had to go to bed right this moment. He couldn't wait until he was grown up enough to put all that 'no' into any word he wanted as well. Then she'd see.

Teddy was nine when he finally decided what Uncle Harry needed to stop being so sad. He remembered the conversation and had watched and waited. He knew Gramma was wrong; Harry played Quidditch most every weekend. Teddy went to all the games. It was fun to watch even if he ended up stuck hanging out with all the babies. If only he could get Victoire to stop trying to make him turn his hair white like hers...

But it was that white hair that made him think of it. Because it wasn't just Victoire who had white hair; Cousin Draco's hair was also white. And Cousin Draco also seemed sad. He didn't cry, but Uncle Harry didn't cry, either. They just seemed to always have something in their expressions, like their favorite ice cream was sold out at Fortescue's, and they'd get quiet and stare out windows and look at clouds and stuff.

He spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do about it. Cousin Draco and Uncle Harry didn't seem to have anything in common. Uncle Harry had lots of friends; the Weasleys were great, and it was always loud and laughing with lots of Gramma Molly's cookies. Uncle Harry also took him to lots of Muggle places, like last summer when they went to the funfair and he rode the rollercoaster until he puked. Uncle Harry had laughed a lot that day, but Teddy also noticed Harry laughed more when he could be doing something for someone.

Cousin Draco was completely different. He was quiet and pale and always wore his robes buttoned up to his neck like Teddy had to do for Christmas Dinner. But he taught Teddy lots of things, he'd given him his first potions set last year and had laughed when he accidentally blew up the lab. He also took Teddy to visit the Wizarding Districts in France and Italy and all the different candy shops they had there.

So it was obvious what he needed to do. Cousin Draco needed a friend, and Uncle Harry needed to be needed. Teddy knew Uncle Harry and Cousin Draco didn't like each other at Hogwarts, so he needed to plan.

Teddy was ten when he decided he needed to put his plan in motion because going to Hogwarts next year would make things much more difficult. He'd thought about asking for help, but his sneaky mentionings of Cousin Draco to the Weasleys (or the Weasleys to Cousin Draco, for that matter) always ended up with them making the same ate-something-nasty faces. So no help there.

He also thought about asking Gramma or Auntie Cissy, but remembered the way they had treated him like a baby when he first asked about Harry so decided not.

But Auntie Cissy was helpful, even though she didn't know it. After all, it was while visiting his Auntie that he found the letter. It wasn't like he'd intended to go snooping, but Gramma and Auntie Cissy were having tea and listening to that dumb show on the Wireless (and really, who cared about what Glenda Chittock had to say about Myron Wagtail this week, anyway) and he was so bored. So when Auntie Cissy sent him off to the library with a wink, he hurried off as quickly as he could.

He didn't mean to be nosy, but the letter was right there under one of the books on Cousin Draco's desk. Well, the edge of it was sticking out anyway, and who would hide something really important there under Teddy's favorite copy of The Hobbit where anyone could walk by and see.

So it really was not his fault.

I'm sorry to write again, even if you'll never know it. It's just so much easier to talk to you like this, when I don't need to do more than make up your responses.  
I know I should do better things with my time than write to imaginary Potters. But it gets so lonely here sometimes when Mother is the only one I see for days. I think of you happy and surrounded by friends and admit I'm jealous. Is it too late to say my past is full of regrets? I would change everything if I could; Hogwarts and after.  
Especially that.

The letter didn't make much sense, except he knew a lot of it was probably about stuff like the war and Uncle Lucius (he avoided the third floor portrait gallery- Uncle Lucius was grumpy). But Teddy knew enough to tell Cousin Draco wanted to be friends with Uncle Harry. And that Cousin Draco was sorry for past stuff.

And if he had to forgive Hugo when he ate his model Snitch, Uncle Harry would just need to forgive Cousin Draco, too.

When it came down to it, his plan was pretty simple. Aunt Hermione was always rolling her eyes and sighing and talking about how Uncle Harry never noticed anything (and Teddy was pretty sure she wasn't talking about his glasses) so Teddy decided blunt was best.

"Uncle Harry?" Teddy was wearing his most tragic expression, which he figured must be pretty effective since when Uncle Harry looked up from the miniature Quidditch Pitch taking over the living room floor, his eyes grew wide and he immediately looked worried.

"What is it? Are you alright?"

Teddy nodded, giving a huge sigh. "I'm okay. But..." He looked down at the Quidditch player he still held in his hand. He didn't realize how hard this would be with Uncle Harry looking all worried at him. And he was looking even more worried now.

"But...?"

"But... It's Cousin Draco."

Uncle Harry's face got really scary then. Not like he was mad, but he went really pale and looked almost panicked. "Dra- Mal- Is he okay?"

Teddy nodded slowly. He hadn't expected that kind of reaction. "He's okay. I guess. Kinda. It's just..." He came around the Pitch and sat down beside Uncle Harry, leaning into him hard. In part because Uncle Harry's scared face was worrying him, and in part because he realized what he was going to say was really really true. "He's so sad all the time. When I'm not there, he... doesn't have any friends. He's so sorry about everything, but no one seems to care."

Uncle Harry sighed wrapping an arm around him. "Oh, Ted..."

"I'm scared for him. He is so lonely." He took a breath and looked up at Uncle Harry, ready to release his whopper. "He said he regrets everything. Especially that stuff after Hogwarts."

And that obviously meant something to Uncle Harry- maybe they had a fight or something after the war- because the color came back into his face and he gave Teddy a weird little smile. "He said that?"

He nodded quickly. This plan looked like it just might work. "I thought... Since he's sorry..."

Uncle Harry ruffled his hair, smiling a huge smile and looking like Christmas. "You are absolutely right, Teddy. How do you feel about a visit with your Aunt Narcissa and I'll go see him now?"

It obviously didn't matter what Teddy thought, because Uncle Harry had hauled him through the Floo before he had a chance to blink. Then they were in Malfoy Manor and headed toward the library (and he didn't know how Uncle Harry knew where that was) and almost ran into Auntie Cissy. Uncle Harry shoved Teddy's hand at her without a word and took off through the library door at a run.

"Potter? What are-"

"Shut up, Draco."

Teddy looked up at Auntie Cissy, but she looked more smug than surprised. She smiled and tugged him gently to the library door. After looking inside, she pulled it closed and murmured. "Sometimes, Teddy, it's not so much that people are sad as it is they don't have something to make them happy."

Teddy had to agree. His plan was an obvious success. Uncle Harry and Cousin Draco certainly looked happy, even if he hadn't expected them to go straight to snogging. Ew.

"I think you did a very good job today, Teddy. This calls for some cake. What do you think?"

Relieved that the Uncle Harry and Cousin Draco problem was finally sorted, he basked in the pride of a job well done. Cake sounded brilliant.


End file.
